A Michigan State University lecture series, centering multicultural leaders from across various fields, is celebrating its 25-year anniversary this month.
To learn more about this year’s Dr. William G. Anderson Slavery to Freedom: An American Odyssey lecture series, WKAR’s Melorie Begay spoke with MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Marita Gilbert.
Interview Highlights:
On what 25 years means for the lecture series
25 years is a moment to pause and reflect on all of the significant and powerful transformation that we've seen....But it's also a moment to think very purposefully and intentionally about what work yet remains, right? What are the future directions for social justice advocacy?
On speaker Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee
She is one who has been a leader in thinking about not just medical education, as the first Black woman dean, but also she is an expert, scholar extraordinaire in the areas of health policy.
On speaker Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou
Rev. Sekou brings, certainly, an energy and passion, but follows in the tradition, of again, folks like Rev. Dr. King, folks like Reverend Dr. William Barber and [Frederick] Haynes, in a way, I think that speaks kind of to this generation, both spiritually and also through music.
On speaker Dr. Russell Ledet
"Dr. Ledet is always very passionate about speaking with connecting to, being present with, young people so that they can see someone who looks like them, or who has an unlikely story, who has been to medical school, who has completed a Ph.D., despite the statistics that less than 5% of all of our doctors in the US are African Americans."
Interview Transcript:
Melorie Begay: A Michigan State University lecture series, centering multicultural leaders from across various fields, is celebrating its 25-year anniversary this week.
To learn more about this year’s Dr. William G. Anderson Slavery to Freedom: An American Odyssey lecture series, I spoke with MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Marita Gilbert.
The lecture series, which is named after civil rights leader Dr. William G. Anderson, is turning 25 this year. How significant is it for the series to have reached this milestone?
Marita Gilbert: For us, 25 years is a moment to pause and reflect on all of the significant and powerful transformation that we've seen. Certainly, around bettering communities, we tend to focus domestically on U.S. communities.
But it's also a moment to think very purposefully and intentionally about what work yet remains, right? What are the future directions for social justice advocacy? Yes, but also, you know, the title itself of this series thinking about going from slavery to freedom, right? What does it mean for us to get free today and in the future.
Begay: This year, the series will feature Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee, who was the first African American woman to be appointed the dean of a medical school. Can you give us an idea of what she'll be sharing and who she is?
Gilbert: So, one of the things that I have learned is that someone of her caliber, I would never presume to speak for her. What I can tell you, she is one who has been a leader in thinking about not just medical education, as the first Black woman dean, but also she is an expert, scholar extraordinaire in the areas of health policy.
I suspect one of the things that she will do is to challenge us to think about what are the things that we're not only dreaming in terms of the kinds of care that we want to provide in our neighborhoods and our communities, but what are the things that we're willing to do to bring that to fruition?
Begay: Also scheduled to speak is Reverend Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou, who, along with being a pastor, is a documentary filmmaker and musician. Can you tell us a little bit more about who he is, and also what folks can expect to maybe hear from him?
Gilbert: So, this is someone who has been following the model and the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He connects both, if you talk to him, he'll talk about connecting the sacred and the secular, right? So making it make sense.
He's also bringing his band, right, which is another tool. One of the things that we know about freedom movements in this country is that music and sound have been really important organizing tools.
One of the other things I'm really excited about is that if you look at all three of our guests, there are a range of ages and stages of their career. And so Rev. Sekou brings, certainly, an energy and passion, but follows in the tradition of, again, folks like Rev. Dr. King, folks like Reverend Dr. William Barber and [Frederick] Haynes, in a way, I think that speaks kind of to this generation, both spiritually and also through music.
Begay: And lastly, Russell J. Ledet will round out the series later this month. He's also a medical professional. Anything that you're excited to hear from him?
Gilbert: Dr. Ledet is always very passionate about speaking with connecting to, being present with, young people so that they can see someone who looks like them, or who has an unlikely story, who has been to medical school, who has completed a Ph.D., despite the statistics right, that less than 5% of all of our doctors in the U.S. are African Americans. If we were to dissect that further and talk about Black men, it's even less, and so he always tries to do is to be a physical reminder, a physical encouragement, right, that you can do it and you can make it.
Begay: That was MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine's Marita Gilbert talking about the Dr. William G. Anderson Slavery to Freedom lecture series. The first lecture is this Thursday at the Wharton Center.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
